I made this full recipe, cooled it, transferred it to a large jar… and had some of the best breakfasts all week. I’ve added this compote to oatmeal (pictured) and to yogurt. I bet it would be amazing on toast with a little ricotta, or even as a topper for a nice, baked white fish. Why not go there? This could be sweet or savory.

Combine the oats, flax seeds, almonds, cranberries, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in one bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coffee syrup, egg white, oil, and vanilla. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir and stir and stir until all of the ingredients are wet.

For chunky granola, line a glass baking pan with parchment paper. Scoop the granola onto the parchment and spread in an even layer. Bake for 45 minutes, or until granola is golden-brown, dry, and hardened slightly. Place the baking pan on a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then transfer the granola to an airtight container.

For finer granola, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the granola onto the parchment and spread in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes, then stir, breaking up any clusters. Bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the granola is golden-brown, dry, and hardened slightly. Place the baking pan on a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then transfer the granola to an airtight container.

Store the granola at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Recipe adapted from: Aunt Karen’s recipe

*It’s the breakfast that doesn’t require a skillet or even a bowl; It’s the easily prepared and transportable granola! This month we’re getting our crunch on with homemade granola recipes that can be enjoyed on the go or part of a complete breakfast. Check out all the Morning Clusters recipes here.

Every so often, I like something a little sweet for breakfast — like carrot cake. But we can’t bite into a big hunk of sugar every morning, so I transformed that cake favorite into a (much healthier) granola version.

Aunt Karen, you were my inspiration for this month’s guide. You’ve been feeding me ideas for flavor combinations and base recipes for months, and I couldn’t resist any longer. I used your base recipe and added some new flavors. Everyone, if you’re wondering where to find coffee syrup, it’s a Rhode Island thing, but you can buy it online. Dave’s Coffee Syrup is top of the line, but you can find other brands like Autocrat on Amazon.